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Campaign cash: Boulder-area CEOs lean to the left with their contributions

94% of nearly $195K contributed by top CEOs went to Democratic causes

By Alicia Wallace Camera Business Writer

Posted:
10/28/2012 07:56:27 PM MDT

Updated:
10/28/2012 07:56:56 PM MDT

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Charles Mann Photography
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An analysis by NBC News earlier this year showed that Fortune 500 CEOs donated to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign over President Barack Obama by a 4-to-1 margin.

It's a different story for the top CEOs in the more politically left-leaning region of Boulder and Broomfield counties.

The majority of the politically active local chief executives funneled money into the Democratic camp during the 2011-2012 election cycle, according to a Daily Camera analysis of Federal Election Commission political contribution databases on OpenSecrets.org and state contribution information via FollowTheMonday.org.

Breakdown of Boulder-area CEOs' campaign contributions.

The Camera researched political contribution information for CEOs of 22 of Boulder and Broomfield counties' largest firms -- locally based companies that either made the paper's most-recent Top 50 largest employers list or are publicly traded -- and found that nine contributed to state or federal campaigns.

Large infusions from Robert Katz, CEO of Broomfield-based Vail Resorts, and James Crowe, CEO of Level 3 Communications, heavily swayed the distribution of the local contributions. More than 94 percent of the nearly $195,000 donated by the nine CEOs went to Democratic candidates or organizations.

"I think that's a factor of where we live, too," said Sandra Fish, a journalism instructor at the University of Colorado who has researched campaign finance data. "We live in a really politically homogeneous area. That's one of the ways that our community is not very diverse -- in ideology. It may follow that even CEOs are more inclined to be liberal."

The contributions, she added, also may not necessarily be reflective of a person trying to curry favor for his or her firm.

"That may be true in some instances, but it may be true that this is their ideology, that they agree with particular candidates," she said.

Companies such as Level 3 Communications, Ball Corp. and MWH Global declined to comment on their CEOs' "personal political contributions." However, they explained their respective political action committees' donation philosophy.

MWH, a Broomfield-based water infrastructure and engineering firm, created its PAC in 1993. Data obtained via OpenSecrets.org indicate MWH's PAC spent more than $400,000 in this election cycle and two-thirds of its $144,500 in federal contributions being directed toward Democratic candidates.

"Our PAC supports Democrats, Republicans and independents who adhere to our philosophy of a clean environment, safe drinking water and sustainable solutions," officials said in an e-mailed statement. "We believe our collective voice can be heard on the issues, projects and policies vital to our industry and our communities.

MWH officials also noted that the party gap in the company's contributions shrank in recent weeks. They made note of Federal Election Commission filings, made as of Oct. 17, that indicate the firm's PAC contributed $178,000 to federal candidates and committees with $96,000 going toward Democrats and $82,000 to Republicans.

President Barack Obama gestures while speaking to supporters during a campaign stop at The Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, Iowa, last week.
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Charlie Neibergall
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Level 3 officials said their PAC reflects the company's position to be a proponent "of a fair and open Internet" that benefits from competition and encourages entrepreneurial activities.

"Level 3 PAC supports candidates for federal office who are knowledgeable about and supportive of the critical role that the communications industry and the Internet play in the economic growth of the country, who recognize and encourage fair competition within the industry and who will support policies that assure the continued health and growth of the Internet," officials for the Broomfield-based broadband infrastructure firm said.

Similarly, Ball Corp. -- a supplier of packaging materials and an operator of an aerospace division -- supports candidates who are "pro-manufacturing and pro-aerospace," said Scott McCarty, a company spokesman.

The process

Listed below are locally based chief executive officers and political action committees that have made monetary contributions during the 2011-2012 election cycle.

Companies considered for this listing were locally based firms that were on the Daily Camera's most recent rankings of the Top 50 largest employers and companies that are publicly traded.

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